Beets: 2 for 1

One of the things I love about beets is that I feel like I'm getting a deal every time I buy them. I get the lusciousness of the red root, but I also get the power packed goodness of the greens. It's a great buy for our budget conscious family, and I haven't even mentioned the benefits beets provide. Check this out for details.

I used to be intimidated by preparing beets, but I've settled into the following easy prep for the roots:

Preheat oven to 400.
Cut greens away from roots and set aside.
Wash roots thoroughly and wrap in aluminum foil.
Place in oven safe dish and cook until tender to a fork.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Peel away skin (should slide off pretty easily) and prepare as desired.

We eat them cut up with nothing on them or a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil or chop them up on a salad with mixed greens, feta cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Orange juice is a nice compliment to beets, so I sometimes squeeze a fresh orange and olive oil over my salad with beets.

This week I cut up the roasted beets and tossed them with some onion, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Simple and yummy. Even better the second day. For something a little more complex, try this one.

As for the greens, I did a water saute and served them as a side dish and let everyone choose their own flavoring (soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon or orange, sea salt, etc.). Here's how to "cook" them (I put cook in " " because it's so easy it might not be considered true cooking!):

Cut leaves away from stems and discard (or cut into small pieces to cook and eat--throw them in a couple minutes before the greens, if you want to eat them--we do, others don't--it's up to you!)
Chop leaves into bite size pieces.
Submerge greens in water and let sit for a minute or two to remove dirt. Drain and repeat until water is clear.
Warm a little water (not enough to cover the bottom) in a skillet with tight fitting lid over medium heat.
Once the water begins to steam, add your greens.
Cover and turn off heat.
Walk away for 5-7 minutes, then check greens to be sure they have cooked, but are still bright green.
Easier than pie, AND everyone gets to participate in the final step by choosing their own flavor!